The suspects — who both had their faces covered — initially cruised their silver Subaru past the 22-year-old man and the 20-year-old woman as they were walking in the 9800 block of Genesee Avenue around 2:15 a.m. The Subaru then was backed up and stopped alongside them, said San Diego Police Officer Robert Heims.

One of the suspects got out of the Subaru’s backseat, pointed his gun at the pedestrians and demanded their property, Heims said. The victims handed over their backpacks.

The suspect then told them to get in the car or he would shoot them, according to the officer.

The victims complied and were driven about a half mile, to the 10100 block of Campus Point Drive. There, ther driver stopped and then punched the male victim several times in the face before ordering both out of the car, Heims said.

The suspects drove away, but turned around, stopped near the bushes in which the victims were hiding, got out of the Subaru and fired one shot into the air, Heims said.

The man and woman said the assailants then sped off.

Police described both suspects as Hispanic men in their 20s and 5 feet 9 to 5 feet 11 with a medium build. One was wearing a white shirt and a black bandana, and the other was only described as having short hair.